Tales of Phantasia | RVGFanatic

Star Ocean (SNES)

***Pub: Enix | Dev: Tri-Ace | July 1996 | 48 MEGS***

After beating Tales of Phantasia in February of 2013, I knew there was only one game that I could play next. And that was Tri-Ace’s SNES follow-up, STAR OCEAN. Just like Tales of Phantasia, Star Ocean clocks in at a hefty 48 MEGS. I guess Tri-Ace only does it big, eh? For years I had heard about what a great game this Star Ocean is. Some even say that Star Ocean is one of the best RPGs not only on the SNES but of the entire 16-bit era. After having a blast playing through Tales of Phantasia, let’s just say I had very high hopes for Star Ocean. Was it able to live up to the lofty hype? Well…

THE HUNDRED DOLLAR GAME

I never paid triple figures for any one game sans one

The topic of retro gaming prices has long been a hot topic of discussion (and frustration). The prices some of these old games commands, particularly the less common SNES titles, is downright scary. You want manuals and boxes, too? Then be prepared to give up an arm and a leg. Whenever I read about today’s astronomical prices, I’m reminded of how lucky I was to get back into the SNES scene when I did (January 17, 2006). Back then, you could easily secure 95% of SNES games, cart only, for no more than $40. Most, however, went for $10 and even as low as $5! The one game that did run me over $40 was Harvest Moon, and that came with the manual. $40 was always sort of my magical mark, and I managed to get games like Earthbound, Ninja Gaiden Trilogy, Aero Fighters and Castlevania: Dracula X for $40 or less. Good luck getting that deal today.

I say that all to say… I’ve been damn lucky in this hobby. So when it came to buying Star Ocean, I did something I thought I would never do. Star Ocean marked the first time in my life that I paid $100 for a video game. During my Saturn days, I prided myself on never breaking the $100 mark. I scored games like Radiant Silvergun, Panzer Dragoon Saga and even Psychic Assassin Taromaru all for under $100. The Star Ocean reproduction cartridge back in 2012 was hard to come by as very few people offered to make it. Supposedly, it was one of the more difficult reproduction cartridges to make. Therefore, they sold like hot cakes whenever they did pop up, and often at $100. With all the great bargains I’ve scored throughout my gaming career, I felt it was OK to splurge this one time and finally break the magical $100 mark. Of course, about three weeks after buying one for $100, people started marking down the price to $85. Go figure. Alas, what’s done is done. All I cared about now is whether the game was worth it or not. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Nice cinematic quality to it — It has a nice cinematic quality to it

YOU PLANET! Ahem, sorry... — ***YOU PLANET!*** Ahem, sorry…

It's my party and I can die if I want to. Die if I want to... — *It’s my party and I can die if I want to. Die if I want to…*

Slightly reminiscent of Rendering Ranger: R2 — Slightly reminiscent of *Rendering Ranger: R2*

... lived Ratix Farrence (AKA Steve) — … lived Ratix Farrence (AKA Steve)

"You know, to break up the monotony of Clatos a bit" — *“You know, to break up the monotony of Clatos a bit”*

"Monotony... or is it really tranquility..." — *“Monotony… or is it really tranquility…”*

Dorn asks Steve what he thinks of Milly... — Dorn asks Steve for his thoughts regarding Milly…

Steve: Uh, uh, Dorn... — Steve: *Uh, uh, Dorn…*

Dorn: Dude, WHAT?! Can't ya let a brother finish up!? — Dorn: *Dude, WHAT?! Can’t ya let a brother finish!?*

Dorn: Uhhh... no one in particular! *nervous chuckle* — Dorn: Uhhh… no one in particular! *nervous chuckle*

Dorn: Shaddup Steve! — Dorn: *Shaddup Steve!*

Milly: Classic Dorn, always talking a good game but never backing it up. Be a man for once and tell it straight to my face! Yeah, I thought so. PUNK ASS

Steve: Probably just gonna be another quiet day... — Steve: *Probably just gonna be another quiet day…*

Lackey 1: My Parkour training pays off, haha! — Lackey 1: *My Parkour training pays off, haha!*

Lackey 1: C’mon, let’s make the boss proud! Get down from there!

Lackey 2: Just because you’re Lackey 1 doesn’t make you the boss of me!

The battle system is different from other SNES RPGs but more on that later.

Baird: So you are the mighty group that will take our empire down? HA! Don’t make me laugh.

Steve: How about we make your tombstone instead?

Dorn: Steve, please leave the trash talking to me…

Baird: HEY! What is this, comedy hour? Prepare to meet your DOOM!

Milly: Uh boys, how about we NOT agitate the big bad ugly guy?

It took me a while to get used to the battle system. First you have to press A, which makes arrow symbols pop up. Then you select the bad guy you wish to target. Hit A again for your main hero to strike. Part of me can’t help but wonder what if they just used a Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past control scheme instead…

Act fast -- battles happen in semi-real time — Act fast — battles happen in semi-real time

Listen to the gentle pitter-patter of rain just outside... — Ah, the gentle *pitter-patter of rain* just outside

Any RPG worth its salt does well to whisk you away

Steve: Sorry, something heavy weighs on my heart — Steve: *Sorry, something heavy weighs on my heart*

Ever get that ominous feeling... a premonition? — Ever get that ominous feeling… a premonition?

... where hatred and war is replaced by peace and love — Where hatred and war is replaced by peace and love

No genre delivers atmospheric night time scenes like RPGs — The stage is set for an epic adventure…

Star Ocean is like Secret of Mana in this regard — *Star Ocean* is like *Secret of Mana* in this regard

Instead of the typical world map you get in most RPGs, you travel across pathways like this one. As you can imagine, the world is much smaller and more compact than your average 16-bit RPG. It took me a while to adjust. But it somehow works for this game.

Special skill moves consist of projectiles and deadly swordplay combos.

Special skills are like your magic attacks — Special skills are akin to magical attacks

The first special skill earned is the Rift Wave. It creates a shock wave around you, granting you temporary protection while damaging any unlucky fool standing in its way. Effective mastery of these special skills is crucial to your success.

Very impressive looking for a Super Nintendo game

One second the waves are flowing toward the ocean

And the next they crash against the shore. Nice!

[I like that Ed guy. He's my kind of guy, that Ed -Ed.] — *[I like that Ed guy. He’s my kind of guy, that Ed -Ed.]*

Milly: Where were you?

Steve: I was at the beach.

Milly: Cut the nonsense, Steve. This is serious! Come take a look — Milly: *Quit it, Steve. This is serious! Come take a look*

What, or who, could have caused this horrific outbreak? — What or who could have caused this nasty outbreak?

Dorn: Don't worry. I'm sure there'll be a happy ending... — Dorn: *Don’t worry. I’m sure there’ll be a happy ending…*

[Steve acting really weird? Oh that's the norm -Ed.] — *[Steve acting really weird? Oh that’s the norm -Ed.]*

A pigeon brings you a life-altering letter, naturally — A pigeon brings you a life-altering letter

Steve: Looks like we're heading to Cool, then... — Steve: *Looks like we’re heading to Cool, then…*

Dorn: Um, I think we really oughta respect a dying man’s final wish. You guys heard the man. Let’s just stay right here in Clatos.

Milly: DORN! YOU’RE SUCH A DAMN JERK!!! GRRR!

Steve: Oh good. Thought you contracted the disease — Steve: *Oh good. Thought you contracted the disease*

Dorn: Ha! Disease?! Who, me? You so FUN-NAY, Steve… *coughs violently*

Talk about getting stoned... [HAR HAR -Ed.] — Talk about getting stoned… *[HAR HAR -Ed.]*

They have no choice but to scale Mount Metox. They’ll risk life and limb in order to find the cure.

Maltos: Is that Steve and Dorn over there?

Steve: It is.

Dorn: Sir.

Maltos: Please come closer so I can get a better look.

Dorn: Oh, we just fine right here, sir. Yeah we good back here.

Milly: What happened to respecting a dying man’s last wish?!

Dorn: … oh… *nervous chuckle*

Not true. Look at my black book [You don't have one -Ed.] — Please, look at my black book *[You don’t have one -Ed.]*

Later on, Milly and Dorn have a little moment in the moonlight. It is then that Dorn crumples over out of pain and discomfort, sending Milly to run off to find her man, Steve. Hey, I’m liking this story…

So you not only have to save Milly’s dad, Maltos, but now also your best friend, Dorn. After scaling to the top of Mount Metox, you’ll run into some Federation folks from the future. It’s a quest to save the world from a grand intergalactic war. No pressure, eh?

Talk about mooning someone. Sorry :P — Talk about mooning someone. Sorry

Our heroes soon meet crew members from the future — They soon meet crew members from the far future

[Can we leave Steve behind in '89? I have cash-Ed.] — *[Can we leave Steve behind in ’89? I have cash-Ed.]*

*[Who needs college when you have cinema? -Ed.]*

Along the way you’ll meet different kings asking you for favors. A lot of the king scenes appear in this isometric fashion, which is highly reminiscent of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

Super Mario RPG (March 1996) — *Super Mario RPG* (May 1996)

Different party members affect the game differently

Of course, you won’t have to go at it alone. There are a bevy of characters to recruit. And deciding which ones to take on is all part of the strategy and fun.

Cyus: Insolence! Let's step outside and handle this! — Cyuss: *Wanna step outside and handle this?*

Pretty soon you’ll be such a hit that you’ll have your very own groupie.

Stunning visuals help bring the game to vibrant life

Star Ocean hands down has the best looking castle entrance of any 16-bit RPG. I dare you to name one finer. It looks epic in scale and I love how you can see birds flying by overhead.

Star Ocean had some nice innovations for its time — *Star Ocean* had some nice innovations for its time

Indeed a lot can happen. Customize your party depending on certain actions you take or don’t take. You gain skill points each time you level up. These points can then be allocated to many different skill categories such as knowledge, sense and technique. There’s plenty to do, from compounding items to smithing weapons — the insane amount of choices may be daunting to a newbie.

Where will you allocate points to?
Choices, choices…

And even that piece of information has great value…

The status screen is loaded with information. Heck, it even tells you their favorite food!

There are a total of 12 characters; you can have eight at any given time. Only four will fight, however. You can switch from any of the four in battle, although it’s cumbersome to do so. You can also adjust computer AI tendencies but much like Tales of Phantasia, it has its limits. I felt some of the characters were a little flat, which was disappointing. Star Ocean didn’t quite hook me in the way that Tales of Phantasia did.

FACEBOOK! ARGH! SHEEP, Y'ALL MINDLESS SHEEP! — **FACEBOOK! ARGH! SHEEP, Y’ALL MINDLESS SHEEP**!

BRING THE (PRIVATE) ACTION

***I WANNA SCREAM AND SHOUT AND LET IT ALL OUT***

Another unique feature is the ability to enter towns apart from the rest of your party. Doing so will lead to a cutscene with special actions taking place that you would not be able to see or produce otherwise. It’s brilliant for character development and extending the game’s longevity if you’re the type to turn over every last leaf. Pure old school RPGers, on the other hand, may feel slightly overwhelmed. There is certainly no shortage of things to see and do in this game.

GAME LENGTH AND BATTLE COMPARISON

Tri-Ace thankfully learned from their previous SNES outing. Tales of Phantasia was flooded with an insane amount of random battles. Not so in Star Ocean. It’s also a much shorter game. Tales of Phantasia took me 43 hours to finish while Star Ocean only took me 26.

So, which one do I prefer?That's an easy call for me — So, which one do I prefer? That’s an easy call for me

Read on to find out, although I think you already know…

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Compiled below are varying opinions of this 48 meg beast

Until I discovered Star Ocean, I felt that Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III stood alone as the last great 16-bit RPGs. Only one hour into the game I knew that Star Ocean was the last gasp — the final relic of the 2D RPG era -Bobo the King

Honestly, coming from the team that developed Tales of Phantasia, I was expecting something as good, if not better. I was disappointed, but to be fair, Star Ocean has its own unique features that serves to redeem its weaker areas. It’s a beautiful, lovingly programmed game that will be forever immortalized for years to come in the hearts of gamers. It’s obvious that it was developed by a professional programming team. Though Star Ocean deserves to be evaluated independent of its close relative, in my opinion, there is no worse game than one that promises much and delivers little -Standalonechild

Star Ocean is what many people would consider the last great RPG of the “Golden Age” in the 16-bit console era. Created in 1996 by Tri-Ace, an offshoot of Wolf Team who had created Tales of Phantasia a year before, the game would only be released in Japan and unavailable to the English speaking world until DeJap Translations released a translation at the tail end of 2003. It’s fun for what it is and is enjoyable, it’s just that there’s always something niggling away at you which prevents you from truly getting the experience Tri-Ace wanted you to. Its innovation is to be admired, if not the execution -Vermillion

I like Tales of Phantasia better than Star Ocean by a fair margin. Star Ocean just lacks that magical something for me. It’s a decent RPG but it’s nothing super special -Faltain1

For those who had an SNES in its day and look back wistfully at the days when RPGs were inexplicably more fun to play… it can be sad to think that there are only so many RPGs from that era to play before they’re all exhausted. Star Ocean is great news for fans of the golden era of the genre, as it provides a title few Americans have played but has the look and feel of a bonafide 16-bit RPG with the richness of Chrono Trigger -EB

Star Ocean is the greatest SNES RPG westerners never got to play. In terms of its scope and design, it blows even Chrono Trigger and the Final Fantasy games out of the water. With its cutting edge skill system, superb graphics, memorable music, variable endings, voice acting (in an SNES game!), hectic combat, secret characters, and generally sublime gameplay, Star Ocean is that rare peerless RPG that serves as a benchmark to all other games in the genre, proclaiming “This is what’s possible. This is what can be done” -JQC

As you can see, opinions vary wildly on Star Ocean. While some claim it’s the best thing since sliced bread and even better than the likes of Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy III, there are many others who will contest it’s full of great ideas BUT the execution leaves a bit to be desired. Obviously, your mileage may vary.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Play it in the dead still of night with the lights off

After finishing Tales of Phantasia, I knew there was no better game to play next than Star Ocean. The two Tri-Ace RPGs share a few things in common while being vastly different at the same time. There’s a lot more to do in Star Ocean, in terms of innovative new quirks such as the Private Action system, skill points and the ability to recruit several allies. Tales of Phantasia is much simpler by comparison. The visuals in Star Ocean are stunningly detailed and brilliant, from footprint tracks in the sand to curtains flapping on a windy day. The voiceovers are an elegant touch and the music is even better than that of Tales of Phantasia. The battle system is not as fun, though. The fighting is fast and furious but a control scheme akin to Link to the Past would have been preferred. Instead, we got a tap-tap fest that’s just not as smooth or intuitive.

Staring out contemplatively is the order of the day

It’s difficult not to compare Tri-Ace’s two SNES RPGs. I prefer Tales of Phantasia by a comfortable margin. Tales has a more interesting game world, I connected better with its characters and the overall experience was simply more enjoyable and memorable. While I enjoyed my time playing Star Ocean, it left my mind as soon as I completed it. By comparison, Tales of Phantasia left a lasting impression long after completion. I appreciate Tri-Ace experimenting with Star Ocean — there’s the Private Action system, skill points, recruiting characters, a cast of 12 and a party of eight — but sometimes less is more. As crazy as it may sound, perhaps the game gave you too much to do. None of it felt fully fleshed out and more like they went 80% with each idea, which ends up diluting the experience a bit. Personally, I love the pure simplicity that backs Tales of Phantasia. Star Ocean is definitely a good RPG but I can’t call it great. It’s undoubtedly full of great ideas but the execution is “only” good at best. That still puts it in a fairly strong class but it’s not quite in the upper echelon of epic SNES RPGs. Star Ocean is one of those weird games that is both good and slightly disappointing all at once.

Graphics: 10
Sound: 9.5
Gameplay: 8
Longevity: 7

Overall: 8.0
Silver Award

That's just wrong and taken WAAAAY outta context -_- — That’s just wrong and taken ***WAAAY*** outta context -_-

People say the universe is a star ocean... — People say the universe is a star ocean…

Tales of Phantasia (SNES)

***Pub: Namco | Dev: Tri-Ace | December 1995 | 48 MEGS***

22 years ago today saw the release of the biggest SNES game. Weighing in at a whopping 48 megs (16 of which were devoted exclusively to the sound), Tales of Phantasia was unleashed in Japan on December 15, 1995. Since my SNES resurgence back in early 2006, I’ve heard the hype hovering one, Tales of Phantasia. The rumblings and whispers made the game feel damn near mythical. It was time at long last to see what all the hype was about. And to see for myself whether this game is truly deserving to be listed as one of the mighty titans of the SNES library. Let the journey commence…

TALES OF REDEMPTION

For years I never thought I would ever own this game. This was due to some folks back in 2008 talking about how they got a Tales of Phantasia reproduction cartridge that ran them HUNDREDS of dollars. As much as I wanted to play it, I wasn’t going to spend a couple hundred. Then a beautiful thing happened: prices began dropping around 2010, making the SNES repro scene much more accessible. With sellers offering copies for $65 or so, I suddenly found myself in the race. When I began buying translated repro copies of Japanese SNES games, I initially focused on titles such as Clock Tower and Terranigma. Finally, five years ago in December of 2012, I bit the bullet at long last. The following is a stroll down memory lane of my experience with Tales of Phantasia.

Oh he's SO getting laid tonight :P — Oh he’s SO getting laid tonight

Have you ever wanted to go back in time to right a past wrong? I’m sure at some point you have. The main plot of this game involves our young hero wanting to prevent the death of his parents at the hands of a mega evil entity. The only way he can achieve this, however, is by going back in time. Talk about a serious reason. What would you do if you could go back in time? Remember: Safety Not Guaranteed [I see what you did there… -Ed.]

Some other reasons might not be so serious... — Some other reasons might not be so serious…

Personally, I don’t believe in going back in time to right a wrong. Sure I would like to travel back for 24 hours to maybe relive or revisit a memorable day from earlier in my life, but to go back to purposefully change events? Nah, I’m from the school of thought that everything in life happens for a reason, and it all helps to make up who you are today. Both the good AND the bad.

It opens with this spoken in Japanese. Haunting!

Dhaos is reawakened years later. And he’s after the pendant that your dad gave to you. Thanks a lot, pops!

I like the map. It's clean, crisp and nicely detailed — I like the map. It’s clean, crisp and nicely detailed

Our hero looks like a giant on the overworld map. Your character moves around briskly, perhaps more than any other SNES RPG I’ve played. Be prepared for thousands of random battles, though.

You give chase after spotting a spooked boar. Gotta love the sweat drop!

Look at that lush forest. Backdrops ooze with detail

Our hero has a habit of running away after launching an attack unless you strike without first getting a running start. It can be annoying at first but you’ll get used to it before long.

I particularly like the elegant simplicity of the beach ones — I particularly like the elegant simplicity of the beach

Battle system has its flaws but it's unique and different — Battle system is flawed but it’s unique and different

In addition to your normal strikes and stabs, there are also special skills to learn and use in battle. These moves can be assigned as your shoulder buttons and are executed with the single push of a button. Sweet!

"IT'S A WHOLE NEW WORLD..." — ***“IT’S A WHOLE NEW WORLD…”***

Navigate the skies to avoid those nasty random battles down below. The view is especially nice from here. The SNES flexes its graphical muscles. 48 MEGS, BABY!

What spells might you discover along the way?

You’ll find different spells to use in battle throughout the game. These spells are critical to your success as they deal out a ton of damage.

Ifrit appears in yet another game... — Ifrit appears in yet another game…

Different enemies have different weaknesses. Each spell produces a voice sample. It becomes readily apparent where a decent chunk of the 48 megs went — 16 in fact. The Ifrit are supernatural creatures in Islamic and Arabic folklore.

Be careful what you wish for... — Be careful what you wish for…

The game starts out with a pleasant stroll through your hometown of Totus. Your father runs a rigorous training center. Be careful not to get caught in the way of their training or else you’ll get whacked in the head! It’s a fun sight gag. Speak with the locals. It’s all cheery and nice but you know it won’t stay that way for long. It never does!

Atmospheric playing this at night with the lights off

The visuals are amazing. Reflections and other little details add up to a simply stunning package. This depressing scene is indicative of Totus’ fate and the denizens that dwell there. It’s as if Heaven itself is weeping…

It's so Japanese anime, this. You can't help but love it — It’s so Japanese anime, this. You can’t help but love it

I love the handful of symbols that this game uses. So much is communicated with just one simple tiny picture. Lots of cute and amusing moments are sprinkled throughout thanks to this style of expression.

One minute he's soaking in the rays of the sun... — One minute he’s soaking in the rays of the sun…

The next he's shrouded in the mist -- NICE! — The next he’s shrouded in the mist — NICE!

OK maybe the dungeons aren’t the best place to show off the game’s ace visuals, but still, look at those bloody reflections! The water even ripples as you walk across.

No relation to Mint from Robotrek — No relation to Mint from *Robotrek*

Rather quirky and fun RPG — *Robotrek* is a quirky and fun RPG

[Damn. You got no game, Steve. No game at all -Ed.] — *[Ever the gentleman, that Steve -Ed.]*

"Why don't you take a seat over there... Steve, is it?" — *“Why don’t you take a seat over there…”*

This was a classic moment. Mint urges our hero to encourage the heartbroken girl. He does so but with some, ahem, questionable “tact.” Mint then comes screaming to the rescue.

It's nice being able to play a game uncensored — It’s nice being able to play a game uncensored

Tales of Phantasia has some Christian themes. Early on there is a church scene with some Scripture and edifying words. It’s the only SNES game I know with the Lord’s Prayer in it. I guess it’s a little bit ironic, considering how the translation for the rest of the game is rather crude and raunchy.

That nosy Steve being up in everybody's business — That nosy Steve being up in everybody’s business

Every 16-bit RPG needs to have a classic bridge bit

The fan translation doesn't hold back — The fan translation doesn’t hold back

Back to the Future and RPG fan? This was made for you — *Back to the Future* and RPG fans will be right at home

Incorporating time traveling elements, the plot is pretty cool and definitely has an epic feel to it. Sure, it could have been fleshed out a bit more but my interest in the game never once waned.

Now that's one badass ride — Now that’s one badass ride

Soundtrack is stellar. Each town's theme fits perfectly — Soundtrack is stellar. Each town theme fits perfectly

The journey takes you through some pretty wild locales. Each town has its own unique feel and atmosphere. Not to mention the MUSIC. Here our travelers embark upon the Abyss of Thor. The music here is absolutely haunting. The Abyss of Thor is a city completely submerged under water, said to contain a time traveling device. Is the legend true, though? Our heroes will find out soon enough…

Arche Klaine (AKA Klein) is no doubt one of the most interesting female RPG characters in SNES history. Comments like such really endear the character to your heart. Check out some of her other feisty comments a bit later below. She is a feisty little firecracker!

Nothing bonds like midnight conversations

I’m a sucker for night time scenes where the characters interact and some (subtle) character development is made. It’s one of my favorite things about RPGs.

Mr. Tumnus to pop out behind that lamp-post? — Mr. Tumnus to pop out behind that lamp post?

The dark snowy town of Freezekill is enchanting and melancholy all at once. It feels like a scene out of a weird dream. You almost expect talking woodland animals to start milling about. Tales of Phantasia does an excellent job of pulling you into its mystifying world.

Mr. Tumnus from The Chronicles of Narnia — Mr. Tumnus from *The Chronicles of Narnia*

TALES OF PORNOGRAPHY

We're just scratching the tip of the iceberg... — We’re just scratching the tip of the iceberg…

Where's Chris Hansen when you need him?! — Where’s Chris Hansen when you need him?!

Of course I wasn’t serious about the translation being fairly accurate. Call it creative liberties by the fine folks at DeJap. Some purists might scoff at this but I say it all adds to the fun.

This almost made me fall out of my chair

This blew my mind. I must have sat staring at the screen for a good minute the first time I saw this. Never in a million years did I ever envision myself reading the F word in a Super Nintendo game — even if it is fan translated. The graphic nature in how the F word was used really put it over the top as well.

She's a lady on the streets but a freak in the sheets — She’s a lady on the streets but a freak in the sheets

"I'LL HAVE WHAT SHE'S HAVING!" — ***“I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING!”***

Feel like a rerun of that old TV show CHEATERS!

You can enter most houses but a few are closed off. This one was closed for, ahem, shall we say, renovations…

Oh snap, she really is a freak — Oh snap, she ***really is*** a freak!

WHAT IN THE — there’s a term for this and it’s gan — oh. My bad. Believe it or not, this is NOT a sexually explicit scene. Arche is actually talking about flying them over one at a time. But by this point in the game, they’ve got your mind firmly planted in the gutter [Nah, just you, you pervert -Ed.]

Speaking of perverts... — Speaking of perverts…

Mint gets rather jealous. Steve can handle two ladies! — Mint gets rather jealous. Steve can handle two ladies

The fan translation makes it feel very progressive

And just to show that there’s no bigotry, there’s even a bit of this going on. I don’t mind Richard saying that as long as he ain’t saying it to me!

That Arche... you never know what she'll say next! — That Arche… you never know what she’ll say next!

Never a dull moment with Arche, eh? — Oh I think you know where this is going…

Meanwhile, Chester is all about that carpe diem — Steve: *Did we hear WHAT?*

Chester is all about that CARPE DIEM life — Chester is all about that **CARPE DIEM** life

Chester: Shut up Steve. No one can resist my charm! — Chester: *Shut up Steve. No one can resist my charm!*

Before Steve can knock some sense into Chester boy, he’s off the races.

TALES OF GRINDING

Whoa, ONE THOUSAND battles in under 20 hours — Whoa, ***ONE THOUSAND*** battles in under 20 hours

One of the biggest criticisms this game has received is the insane amount of random battles. If you recall Lufia & the Fortress of Doom, imagine that random encounter rate multiplied by two. Sometimes it feels like you hardly take three steps before another battle pops up. Thankfully, there are Holy Rune bottles which drastically reduce the encounter rate. For a limited time only, of course, but hey it’s better than nothing. Obviously, the high encounter rate didn’t ingratiate itself to all gamers but it wasn’t enough to deter me from going through the game.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Here are some opinions I've found on the net... — Here are some opinions I’ve found on the net…

A game like this only comes once every decade. Tales of Phantasia is the wonder of the ’90s -Sarysa

There’s no such thing as a perfect game, but if there was one, Tales of Phantasia
would definitely be on top of the list. It showed the true power of the SNES and its capabilities, that no other game has shown before -WizardRyo

I must admit, when I was advised by a close friend that this game was the best RPG for the Super Nintendo, I gawked a bit. Tales of Phantasia? I had never heard of it before, and I knew nothing of the series. Still, if for no other reason than to entertain her, I found a copy of the game and started playing it. No sooner then had the introduction popped up, showcasing some of the prettiest graphics ever to grace my SNES, I saw the sprites, read the story, and saw some gameplay footage. My jaw dropped; I was hooked! -Bearsman6

It’s really a shame the battle system turned out like this. Tales of Phantasia has all the necessary tools to be a great game. It looks great, sounds great, has a great story and tons of things to do in a wide variety of locales. But, I simply got sick of it all partway through. I got tired of wading through countless (and lengthy) encounters in one vast dungeon after another. Initially, I looked forward to playing this game and didn’t want to put it down — by the time I neared the end, I was playing it solely out of a grim determination to finish it. The joy had faded and I was only left with a sense of resignation as I steeled myself for another hour or two of tedium. You could say most RPGs are exercises in repetition, but Tales of Phantasia is one of the few where I truly can agree with that -Overdrive

When Namco released Tales of Phantasia for the Super Famicom in December 1995, the video game industry was going through some changes. However, the Super Famicom was still going strong at the time and wasn’t going to give up to the next generation systems without a fight. Tales of Phantasia was quite a milestone for the 16-bit system, because not only was it one of the biggest carts ever at the time (48 MEGS), it also contained actual voiced dialogue and even a full Japanese pop theme song. With its revolutionary sound and beautiful 2D graphics, Tales of Phantasia was quite the experience for RPG fans. Unfortunately, Namco never saw it fit to release this game in the US, most likely due to the fact that at the time, RPGs were still considered a niche market and it’d be almost two years before Final Fantasy VII would make them more mainstream. Tales of Phantasia is indeed a great game, but far from the epic RPG masterpiece people thought it would be -YusakuG

What else can I say about about this video game except for ”truly breathtaking!” Every aspect of this wondrous work of art, whether it be the visuals, the soundtrack, or the simple yet engrossing plot, deserves an honorable mention -Alain Garamonde

A game that mixed the best of both Eastern and Western RPG conventions… Tales of Phantasia is an unsung classic. It’s a great game that was released too late onto a console on the way out. Had it been released at the same time as Final Fantasy III, we might have seen a different page in RPG history -Enker

As you can see, opinions range wildly from “absolute classic” to “disappointing, all things considered.” Personally, I have a big threshold for random battle encounters, and so I wasn’t too bothered by the high rate. But I can see how if you detest random encounters then this probably isn’t your game.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Ah yes, let me stare out in space contemplatively... — Ah yes, let me stare out in space contemplatively…

Tales of Phantasia opens up with a Japanese voiceover reading the quote, “Truly, if there is evil in this world, then it lies within the heart of mankind.” It’s followed by a masterfully crafted tune that pulls you in, bewitching you to the core. It sets the mood for the game perfectly. Right away I knew I was in for a special treat. One month and 43 hours later, the game reached its final chapter. It was bittersweet. On one hand, I was excited to see the conclusion of a long journey. But on the other hand, I was sad that the epic adventure was at last over. Even though there are many SNES games better than Tales of Phantasia, as far as experiences go, this is right up there at the top. If nothing else than for its incredibly memorable and modernized fan translated dialogue which gave me a chuckle or two along the way. In addition, its sprawling universe, memorable characters, unique battle system, excellent visuals and stellar sound makes it a journey well worth taking for those patient enough to brave the quest.

Staring out in space contemplatively part 2... — Staring out in space contemplatively part 2…

RPGs are all about creating an imaginary world full of colorful characters, memorable villages, powerful spells, intriguing dialogue and nasty bad guys. Tales of Phantasia does all of that quite well. There are also some quirky side quests to carry out, plus interesting plot developments to keep the story moving along briskly. It isn’t without a few warts, however. Namely, the encounter rate is set way too high. Battles can occasionally drag and since there are so many, this game will test your patience (and possibly sanity at times). You can only control the main hero and the computer AI of your three allies isn’t always so hot. Thankfully though, you can adjust their strategy. This ranges from all out attack mode to focus on healing, and so forth. That helps out a good bit and at times you will find yourself strategically selecting specific behaviors of your computer controlled compadres. It should also be noted that the final boss is one of the most frustrating final bosses in SNES history.

In spite of these blemishes, Tales of Phantasia is one to be experienced if the noted flaws are not deal breakers in your book. If you consider yourself an avid Super Nintendo gamer and you have yet to play Tales of Phantasia, then you owe it to yourself to right that wrong. Thankfully, you won’t need to board a time machine in order to do it.

Graphics: 10
Sound: 9.5
Gameplay: 9
Longevity: 8

Overall: 9.0
Gold Award